Sunday Morning Sweet and Savory Crepes

On a wintery Sunday morning, before heading out to pick up the fallen apples and rake the paths, it’s good to warm up with a hearty breakfast. This makes enough crepes for two – spinach, caramelized onion and parmesan; and a cinnamon, nutmeg pear.

Spinach, Caramelized Onions and Parmesan

Saute up a bag of spinach. Squeeze out any excess water, and set aside. Slice up a medium to large yellow onion into rounds. In a saucepan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter. Add the onions and slowly cook them down, stirring, until they caramelize – about 15 to 20 minutes. Finely grate a small pile of parmesan cheese.

To make the batter – in a blender, whirl together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup warm water, 2 eggs, 1/4 stick of melted butter, and a pinch of salt. When the batter’s smooth, cover and put in the fridge.

Pears, Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Dice up two pears and add to a small sauce pan, along with about 1/4 cup orange juice or water, four pinches of sugar, two pinches of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Bring to simmer, then cover and turn down to low, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn. You could also use apples or other fruit, and/or toss in some raisins or chopped dried apricots.

Crepes on a Plate

Preferably, use a crepe pan or a nonstick skillet to make the crepes. Heat the pan over medium heat, and add a tablespoon of butter. The crepe pan is ready when the butter starts to turn a bit brown, but not smoke. Lift the pan off the heat and pour in enough batter to thinly cover the bottom of the pan. Rotate the pan to spread the batter. Return the pan to the heat and let the crepe cook about a minute and a half. (It should start to get some brown spots on the bottom.) Then flip the crepe and let it cook briefly, until it’s developed a few brown spots on the new bottom. Put the crepe on a dish and repeat using the rest of the batter, making about eight to ten crepes.

Filling the Crepe

To fill the crepes, add a handful of spinach, a few caramelized onions, and a pinch of the grated parmesan. Roll the crepe up and briefly heat on two sides, over medium heat, letting the cheese melt. Do the same with the pear filling.